Fish thieves will face tougher fines, pledge

Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw has pledged the government will tackle the problem of fish being taken wholesale for the pot by migrant workers.

Responding to a Parliamentary Question from Reading West MP and keen angler Martin Salter, he also said the findings of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review , which has been in the political long grass for some time, would be enacted via "secondary legislation".

While Mr Salter heralds this and the annual fisheries debate, which took place on Thursday, as a step forward, the status of proposals to give the EA powers to ban livebaiting in sensitive areas remain unclear.

Click here for a report of the exchange between Mr Bradshaw and Mr Salter.

While most of Thursday's fisheries debate concerned sea fisheries and the sustainability of fish stocks, Mr Salter made a lengthy speech about recreational freshwater fishing.

If you click here and scroll down the debate to 4.45pm you can read it without having to wade through all the other largely irrelevant stuff.